Feeling rejected

You say you "just want a peaceful environment where you can find God and deepen knowledge of the bible without drama". This sounds very much like me long ago. Yes, I wanted knowledge about end-time prophecy - nothing more. What went wrong???

Well, I was lured into a high-control group who weren't what they said they were... That's what. There is ONLY drama and you are getting a taste of it now. This is an all-or-nothing religion. A fear-based religion. As far as learning the "bible", much of it will be slanted. (Other religions teach the bible too....without drama and all that goes with it.)

You seem like a determined person to try and "make it" in that religion. Everybody here has told you the truth and are not profiting by telling you our experience.

Well, if you do go....keep to yourself...don't tell your business to anybody as it will most definitely be repeated and you will be an evening's entertainment at some gathering you won't be invited to. It will be a lonely existence.

And, remember, you have NO real friends there! Be wary of those who DO try to be your "friend" since they are on a fact-finding mission!

With all that has been said, I wonder, what is the attraction? With all I know, I would have to have a grudge against myself to tolerate all the garbage in this so-called religion. Now, I'm older and wiser! Glad I'm out - but sorry about time wasted. We would spare you this. Good luck whatever you do!

All religions change and misinterpret the bible's content, even the Jehovah's witnesses, or I should say especially the Jehovah's Witnesses. Have you ever noticed in the Watchtower study they quote a part of a scripture here, a part of a scripture there? It's because they are picking and choosing what parts of a scripture fit their agenda. This is then wound up with a heaping helping of just plain guessing and conjecture. And since this is them guessing, it will change tomorrow. This deep scriptural truths they teach you today will be "old light" tomorrow. They flip flop on so many things, how can you take what they say seriously? Is Jesus your mediator? It used to be he was for everyone, now just the anointed, tomorrow, who knows what they will say.

I used to think they must be the only true religion because they didn't teach a literal hell fire and the trinity. I ultimately realized that did not matter because so much of what they taught was garbage, that getting it right in a few things was meaningless, and I'm not even confident they got it right on that anymore.

As Jesus said, you will know if they are true disciples of they have love among themselves. No doctrine is enough to make up for the complete lack of love and caring in this organization. The early Christians sometimes had conflicting and divergent views, but that did not mean they were not true Christians, nor were they kicked out of the congregation for disagreeing. Not accepting everything taught by the governing body is grounds for Disfellowshiping in this religion. Moving congregations may work for a bit, but you will still end up with the same problems with ever changing doctrine and failed date predictions.

I was a convert in 1969, I got baptized at 14. The Awake magazine said not to get an education, that I would have to face the fact that I would never have a career in this system. Kind of silly, since I am 61, my career come and gone, college would have been nice, too bad I listened to that bad advice. And they are still saying the same thing, young people are still giving up on an education, convinced the end is so close. They taught 1975 was an "important date", the end of 6,000 years of man's existence. Everyone believe Armageddon was going to be in 1975, or very shortly thereafter. Now they pretend that never happened, so funny, I was there.

Do you know there are some Christian churches that have no doctrine? That's right, none. They know that what is important is fellowship, charitable works and love. You would be better off looking into one of them.

You seem a well put together person. Just keep in mind that getting baptized is the same as getting in to a mud pool. It wont come off that easy. The people you think are your friends will turn they're face on you as soon as you start to think for yourself.

As someone that as well has studied and worked simultaneously I sympathize with your cause, Are you the type of person that likes to be told to do stupid and irrational things all the time without right to questions ? if so go ahead, if not get out, and make friends, REAL friends that like you for who you are , not what you believe in.

Esmeralda, you should read "In Search of Christian Freedom" by Ray Franz (an Ex-Member of the JWs governing body who sadly passed away already). It will open your eyes concerning how to search for the real christians and how they are supposed to behave...